At 103, he's figured out what matters -- but what, he asks, is 'streaming'?

Britt Kennerly |
Florida Today |
2:34 pm EDT September 4, 2018

Henry Thomas was born Aug. 28, 1915, when Woodrow Wilson was president, and long before anyone ever heard of tweeting. But at 103, his outlook on life is timeless: Ask President Bill Clinton. Video by Britt Kennerly, FLORIDA TODAY

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Vegetables, Henry Thomas says, are his favorite food, and he doesn't overdo it at the dinner table.

Cocoa resident Henry Thomas, who turned 103 on Aug. 28, holds his great-great niece Memphis Williams, who turned 2 a couple of days later, during a birthday party for Thomas at Cracker Barrel in Viera.

Britt Kennerly/FLORIDA TODAY

But when you're a Battle of the Bulge survivor who's turning 103, you get to eat whatever the heck you want for the day that's all about you, right? Like, a hundred times over.

So, on Aug. 26, Henry Thomas had country fried steak during a party with family and friends at his favorite restaurant, Cracker Barrel in Viera. There, Thomas held great-great-niece Memphis Williams, who would turn 2 on Aug. 30, on his lap, and let her hang on to his "Happy Birthday" balloon.

On Aug. 28, his birthday, Thomas and other residents of Westminster Asbury retirement community in Cocoa threw another party. Carrot cake (hint for next year: Coconut's his favorite) was on the menu.

Thomas, born in New Holland outside of Gainesville, Georgia, in 1915, is personable but not chatty. Asked how he'd describe his personality, that non-outgoing side of the World War II vet shows.

"Well, I'm know I'm quiet," he said ... followed by about 20 seconds of silence and a smile.

"When he doesn't come in, we're all looking for him ... it makes us so happy to see him."

And the turnout at Thomas' Aug. 26 party, where nearly 70 people almost filled a room at the eatery, shows "he's well loved in the community," Ford said.

Henry Thomas shows a letter he received from his favorite-ever U.S. president, Bill Clinton, after Clinton saw a 2017 story about Thomas in FLORIDA TODAY.

Britt Kennerly/FLORIDA TODAY

"He's just an amazing man with so much knowledge," she said. "We should all live like that."

After being featured in FLORIDA TODAY at 102, Thomas heard from his favorite-ever president, Bill Clinton. He shows the letter with pride, a missive in which Clinton praised Thomas' attitude and disdain for non-lean meat and shared, "I think we'd all live as long as you if we gave up fatty meat and arguing!"

"He balanced the budget," Thomas said. "I think he was a pretty good guy."

Thomas doesn't like talking about war, or, unless pressed, about becoming a member of the 3rd Armored Division of the U.S. Army at age 26.

And though he keeps up with the news and "reads the newspaper every day," don't try to tweet him: Thomas has no interest in social media and doesn't own a computer.

"None of that," he said. "I'd still like to know what streaming is, though."

He likes old detective shows like "Columbo." Good music: "Big band," he said.

A longtime ballroom dancer and guitar and banjo player who once played in bands with names like The Hall County Hotshots, he gets around well.

He no longer drives — though he did as recently as age 102.

He gets up around 7 a.m. Goes to bed by 10:30 p.m.

And as he enters another year of a life that began when Woodrow Wilson was president, Thomas looks ahead.

His tips for life include simple mantras:

Don't worry too much about anything.

Avoid arguing.

Be kind and help others when you can.

Have a spiritual side.

"I always felt good about going to church," he said.

Thomas, who moved to Brevard in 1957 with wife Mary, worked in maintenance for Douglas Aircraft (later McDonnell Douglas) at "the Cape" before retirement in 1975. Mary, a woman he described as a "go-getter," died in 2006. The two, who didn't have children, had been married for 73 years.

Her death led Thomas to move to Westminster Asbury. When he gets bored, he finds "company in the lobby — there's always someone there," he said.